Coze

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To engage in informal, friendly conversation; to chat or talk casually with someone; to conduct a relaxed, sociable exchange of words
2. To have a lighthearted or intimate discussion or talk; to exchange words in a gentle, easygoing manner; to share conversational moments in a friendly way
3. To participate in informal verbal interaction marked by warmth; to converse amiably with someone; to hold a conversational dialogue that is easy and pleasant

Etymology: "Coze" is a back-formation from "cosy," which means that speakers worked backward from the adjective to create a verb. "Cosy" itself came from the Scottish word "cosie" or "cosy," meaning snug, comfortable, or sheltered, and the verb "cose" was formed by stripping off the adjective's ending as if it were a suffix. The idea is that chatting with someone is a cosy, comfortable activity, so the verb took on the sense of a relaxed, friendly exchange. The spelling "coze" appears as an alternative to "cose," and both forms reflect the same back-formation. Because the word is a verb made from an adjective rather than from an older verb, its history is short and direct: an adjective for comfort gave rise to a verb for comfortable conversation.